4-H Club/Group Management WISCONSIN 4-H CLUB TREASURER HANDBOOK Member Guide Pub. No. 4H466 WISCONSIN 4-H PUBLICATION HEAD HEART HANDS HEALTH
CONTENTS The Treasurer 2 Duties of the Club Treasurer Club Decisions about Money Collecting Money 3 Giving Receipts Depositing Money Preparing Deposits Spending Money 4 Approving and Paying Bills Payment Approval Form Checks Records and Reports 5 Maintaining the Check Register The Treasurer s Report The Club Financial Record Dues Record Audit WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 1
THE TREASURER Congratulations on being selected club treasurer! Organizations need someone to keep track of money collected, do the club banking and pay bills. As the treasurer, you have very important duties and responsibilities. Duties of the Club Treasurer 1. Take charge of all the money taken in by the club. 2. Set up and maintain a checking account. The account should be set up so two signatures are required on the checks yours and an authorized adult. The authorized adult must be a 4-H volunteer that holds responsibilities for 4-H Club finances. This is someone other than your parent, guardian or relative. 3. Keep an accurate financial record of: All money received, including dues showing the source of the money and the date received. All money paid out, showing whom the money was paid to, what it was paid for, and the date of payment. 4. Deposit all money in a 4-H checking account or savings account in a local bank or credit union as soon as it is received. Do not keep club monies at home or on your person. 5. Never mix club money with your own. Never borrow club money. 6. Give a report of money received, bills paid, and amount on hand at each meeting when called upon by the president. 7. Pay money out of the treasury (by check) only as approved by the club or as specified by the by-laws of your club. Bills can be approved for payment through the annual approved budget or for bills that fall outside the budget, by a motion passed at a club meeting and is recorded in minutes. Pay bills authorized by the club promptly. Retain receipts and canceled checks on file covering all payments. 8. You are responsible for the club funds until your successor is elected. An auditing committee should check your records before they are turned over to your successor. Give complete, accurate records to your successor at the end of the year. 9. You need to assist in developing the club s annual budget and in the completion of the 4-H Club and Group Annual Financial Report, including your signature. 10. Attend the officers training session when it is held in the county. Club Decisions about Money It s important that your club discuss money at least once a year. Discussion topics should include: How much money will be needed? Will we collect dues? Do we need to conduct fund raising? How will we make decisions about spending money? Does the annual budget accurately reflect the club s planned spending and income? A budget is a listing of how much money a club plans to make or take in and how much money it plans to spend. An annual budget is used by members, the treasurer, and 4-H volunteer leaders for planning expenses and approving bills. It must be approved by the membership. WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 2
COLLECTING MONEY Giving Receipts When you receive cash or checks you must always write a receipt. The receipt should include the amount, what the funds were for, and the date. When possible include the name of the person making the payment. Without a receipt there is no way to prove that your 4-H club received a specific amount of money or that you handled it correctly. Two people should count the money, agree on the amount and turn the money over to you. It s a good idea for you to verify the amount (recount the money) in the presence of the people giving you the money. Then give them a receipt for the amount they gave you (see Image 1). Preparing Deposits Follow these steps when filling out a deposit ticket or slip (see Image 2). 1. Date the deposit slip. 2. Fill in the amount of currency (bills) and coins you are depositing. 3. List each check number and its amount separately. 4. Record the deposit in the checking account register. Depositing Money Keep these things in mind when making deposits: Deposit all funds promptly. Never hold back cash from deposits to pay bills. Use deposit slips provided by the bank or credit union. If someone writes a check payable to you that is intended for your 4-H club, endorse it by writing Pay to the order of (your club name) and signing it with your name. 4-H money may be deposited in an FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) or NCUA (National Credit Union Administration) insured institution. This includes all savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. Image 1: Sample Receipt Image 2: Sample Deposit Slip WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 3
SPENDING MONEY Approving and Paying Bills It s important to receive the club members approval to pay the club s outstanding bills. This is done through the approved annual budget or for bills that fall outside the budget with a successful motion and vote by the members at a meeting. After the members approve paying the bills, write a check for the approved amount for each bill. Pay all bills by check. Payment Approval Form A payment voucher is a form that records your 4-H club s approval to pay a bill. You may choose to prepare a payment voucher before paying any bill. After a bill is approved, prepare a check to pay it. After you write a check to pay a bill, attach the invoice (bill) or receipt to the payment voucher and finish filling out the payment voucher (see Image 3). Image 3: Payment Approval Form Checks Follow these steps when writing checks: 1. Always have a written bill, invoice, statement, and written instructions by the leader or club meeting motion before writing the check. 2. Use ink. 3. Never erase a mistake. If you make a mistake, write VOID on the spoiled check and start a new one. Keep the voided check, don t destroy it. 4. Write today s date on the check (see Image 4). 5. Start writing the name of the person or business to whom the check is payable as close to the pay to the order of as possible. 6. Leave as little space as possible when filling in any of the lines on a blank check. This prevents someone else from changing a $1 check, for example, into a $100 or $1,000 check. 7. Begin writing the amount at the left of the amount line. Be sure the written amount agrees with the numeric amount. 8. Identify the purpose of the check on the purpose/memo line. 9. Sign the check and have the authorized adult sign the check. Be sure to sign the check the same way you signed the signature card at the bank. 10. Record the date of payment and the check number on the bill. Keep a copy of each paid bill with permanent records. 11. Be sure to have sufficient funds in the checking account to cover the check you plan to write. 12. Never sign an incomplete or blank check. 13. Safeguard blank checks and notify the bank if any are lost or stolen to stop payment. Image 4: Sample Check WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 4
RECORDS AND REPORTS Maintaining the Check Register In the checking account register, record the checks you ve written (see Image 5). To keep your 4-H club s check register up to date, follow these steps. 1. Write the check number and the date it was written in the appropriate columns. 2. In the description of transaction column, write to whom the check was made payable and for what payment was made. 3. Enter the check amount in the payment/debit column. Subtract the check amount from the remaining balance on the line above and enter the new balance. 4. You can use the T column at the end of each month when you balance the account against the bank statement. Use this space to check off the checks and deposits that have cleared the bank (this information comes from the bank statement or the checks that have been returned to you). 5. The Fee, if any column is the place to list any fees the bank has charged your club. 6. Record the amount of deposits in the deposit/credit column. In the description column write the source of the funds. Add the deposit amount to the account balance on the line above. 7. Be sure to balance (reconcile) the check register with the bank statement on a monthly basis. Your 4-H leader can help you with this. Image 5: Sample Checking Account Register WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 5
The Treasurer s Report The treasurer s report informs members of the club s financial activity since the last meeting. Complete a copy of the Monthly Club Treasurer s Report and present it to the club (see Image 6). Image 6: Sample Monthly Club Treasurer s Report Monthly Club Treasurer s Report WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 6
The Club Financial Record The Financial Record allows you to keep your financial records up-to-date. Begin the record sheet with the ending balance from last year s club financial record. Record the check number, date, who was paid and for what, the amount and the balance for each payment. For receipts, record the date, who submitted the funds and for what, the amount and the balance. Use one line for each transaction (see Image 7). Dues Record Clubs may choose to use a dues record as part of the financial record (see Image 8). Audit At the end of each 4-H year, the club financial record must be audited. A club leader, unrelated to you, should assist you in preparing for the audit. Additional information on audits is located in the Financial Management section of the Wisconsin 4-H website. Image 7: Sample Club Financial Report Image 8: Sample Dues Record WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 7
Sample Checks for Practice WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 8
Sample Checks for Practice WISCONSIN 4-H Pub. No. 4H466, Pg. 9
Updated 5.2015 An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX and American with Disabilities (ADA) requirements. 2015 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Developed by the Wisconsin 4-H Office, 431 Lowell Hall, 610 Langdon St., Madison, WI 53703. The 4-H name and emblem are federally protected under Title 18 US Code707. Adapted from Michigan and Missouri Handbooks. Compiled by Nancy Franz, former Wisconsin 4-H staff member; Verne Gilles, Bayfield County 4-H Volunteer; and Donna Menart, former Wisconsin 4-H staff member. Layout and design revised by Jenny Streiff, 4-H Youth Development graphic artist, July 2005. To order multiple copies of this publication, call toll free: 1-877-WIS-PUBS (947-7827). To see more Cooperative Extension Information, visit our web site: http://learningstore. uwex.edu/.